02052024-LSTC-01.qxd 5/2/2024 12:13 AM Page 1 c m y b CARLA TO PLAY VIVIEN LEIGH Carla Gugino has been roped in to play Hollywood legend Vivien Leigh in the in the forthcoming biopic The Florist. Two-time Oscar winner Leigh is known for playing Scarlett O'Hara in 1939's Hollywood classic Gone With the Wind. Gugino is known for her work in Gerald’s Game, the Spy Kids films and The Unborn. TRIBUNE Word wise Huma Qureshi has shared a video on Instagram where she is seen stepping into a bookstore. There, she spots her maiden novel Zeba: An Accidental Superhero. CHANDIGARH | THURSDAY | 2 MAY 2024 Hail the fighting spirit! It’s a world where OTT is ruling, and Gaurav is happy the space has generated a lot of healthy competition. “OTT has provided a gamut of options for good actors, who earlier used to waste away due to lack of opportunities. Now, they can showcase their talent and be applauded across the globe. Also, content is king and OTT has challenged the big screen in this regard. The audience monitors everything, has an array of choices and, therefore, relevant stories don’t go missing. This competition that OTT provides to the film industry augurs well for the future times. The narrative of filmmaking has surely changed,” he opines. Vikrant Parmar F OR director Gaurav Rana, whose debut Hindi movie Mai Ladega saw a theatrical release and a good one at that, there are two types of people in the film industry — ones who want to be seen on screen and ones who want to show on screen. He claims to be steadfast in the latter category! Gaurav is known for Punjabi projects like Seeto Marjani, Channa Ve, Chithi and Rihaa. But first up, Mai Ladega. “It is a movie that is based on a beautiful relation between a mother and a son. The core around which the whole plot is based is that sometimes in life we forget the greater purpose and get stuck with the situation at hand. That leads to our downfall. The film highlights that whenever life puts you down, one should stand up and fight back,” says Gaurav, Chandigarh lad who is currently based in Mumbai. The plot having been picked from real life, the film has been shot in Hardwar, Nainital and Mumbai. “It is about how sports, boxing in this case, teaches you a lot in life — how to overcome hurdles and forge a Filmmaker Gaurav Rana, who had to pick fresh faces due to budget constraints, is happy that his film Mai Ladega is generating a positive buzz Up next will of iron. Another factor that it underlines is the importance of mental wellbeing. Often ignored in our part of the world, mental health is something that needs care. A young lad in this movie faces an abusive father, but stands firm besides his mother. Their emotional bond is amplified through a song, Mai Meri, sung beautifully by Sonu Nigam,” he adds. The cast, including Akash Pratap Singh, Gandharv Dewan, Jyoti Gauba, Ashwath Bhatt and Vallari Viraj, is fairly new, barring Bhatt, who has essayed a few noteworthy roles in Bollywood. “We decided to pick fresh faces as being newcomers in the industry, we did not have much backing. There were budget constraints as well, but we got good actors who fit into our space,” he says. Fruitful journey Gaurav, whose childhood interests lay in reading and storytelling, completed a course in animation from Chandigarh before moving c m y b to Mumbai. As a director, he anchored as many as 200 episodes of Hindi show Crime Patrol from 2010 to 2015. “I have a keen interest in visual effects too and was part of Hollywood film Clash of the Titans. In Bollywood, I have been part of the visual effects’ team of films like Raavan, Housefull and more,” he beams. As for his upcoming projects, there is a Punjabi web series and another Hindi film in the pipeline. “Youngsters don’t train enough, but want immediate fame in today’s world. Any budding filmmaker should first focus on short films and hone their craft, before jumping into the deeper end. Give yourself time to train,” is his advice to aspiring filmmakers. Makes a whole lot of sense! Daredevil act More than three decades before Aamir Khan’s train stunt in Ghulam (1998), this actor did a daredevil challenge on screen! Balraj Sahni also involved Meena Kumari in his risky ruse in Pinjre ke Panchhi (1966), which — in another strange resemblance with Aamir’s film — was shot at Khandala. The scene had her walking on the rail tracks in a bid to commit suicide, even as he ran after her and managed to pull her aside from the rushing train at the last minute. The filmmaker only wanted shots of Sahni running after her and pulling her away; those were to be juxtapositioned later. Sahni, however, knew that a train would pass the spot soon, and if they moved fast, the whole scene could be filmed there only. He asked the director, who, in turn, asked the actress, and she agreed. With all arrangements in place, he started chasing Meena Kumari amid shrill whistles from the approaching train’s driver, who ‘must have been horrified to see us right in the middle of the track’. The train must have been only a few yards away when Sahni dragged Meena Kumari away, he recalled in his autobiography Meri Filmi Atamkatha. The shot came out perfect, but Sahni, who was above 50 then, only later realised how he had imperilled both of them. Going to her hotel room to apologise, he found her sitting with her head in her hands. He acknowledged his recklessness but also questioned why she went along. “You were so very keen on taking that shot at one go! How could I then stop you?” was Meena Kumari’s disarming response with a rare smile. This aim of realism marked the film career of Balraj Sahni, born on May 1 in Rawalpindi in 1913. — IANS When actor Balraj Sahni raced against a real train for a film scene
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